Surely no one would have thought 150 years ago that DeKalb would grow into the diverse city it is today. Yet this year marks the sesquicentennial anniversary of the founding of our community and we would like to recognize that.

Many events shaped the area into what it currently is, beginning in 1837 with the city’s founding and later with the arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in 1853. This enabled the city to become a central location for the shipping of crops, and agriculture became DeKalb’s main economic activity until 1873 when farmer Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire. Production of his invention began soon after, earning the city the nickname “Barb City.”

Perhaps the most notable development came in 1895 with the founding of Northern Illinois State Normal School, later to become Northern Illinois University. The school began to develop and also flourished, which is why we will celebrate its 100th Homecoming this Saturday.

All this week, the Northern Star will feature different cover designs from various periods in this paper’s history. These designs have been taken from Northern Star archives and every effort has been made to ensure their historical accuracy. Today’s paper, in keeping with our roots, is called the Northern Illinois, as the paper did not become the Northern Star until 1954.

Regardless of the events that have made DeKalb the community it is today, we as students have the opportunity to contemplate the impact we may leave on the area. Even if we don’t attain the success of NIU alumnus Dennis Barsema, we can still be proud to say we’re from Barb City.